The ligation of tissue (e.g., blood vessels, lymph nodes, nerves, fallopian tubes, or cardiac tissue) is a common practice of many surgical procedures. For example, ligating blood vessels (e.g., veins or arteries) is often required during the resection of the blood vessels, for example, to remove an aneurysm. Ligation of tissue may be performed by closing the vessel with a ligation clip, or by suturing the vessel with surgical thread. The use of surgical thread for ligation requires complex manipulations of the needle and suture material to form the knots required to secure the vessel. Such complex manipulations are time consuming and difficult to perform, particularly in endoscopic surgical procedures, which are characterized by limited space and visibility. By contrast, ligation clips are relatively easy and quick to apply. Accordingly, the use of ligation clips in endoscopic as well as open surgical procedures has grown dramatically.